Well-reamer.



H. R. HUGHES.

, WELL REAMER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24. 1914.

Patented May18, 1915..

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WELL-REAMER Specificatidn of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 19115,

Appiieation filed February MJSM. Serial s10. $20,672.

This invention relates to reamers such as are used in well-drillingoperations for reaming out or increasing the diameter of a hole that hasbecome crooked, due to cauting of the drill, or which has become smallerthan the required diameter, due to dul'ling or wearing away of thecutters on the drill.

Une object of my invention is to provide a lubricated well reamer,namely, a reaming tool equipped with rotatable cutters that remove thematerial from the side of the hole and thus straighten the hole orincrease the diameter of same, and means for supplying a luibricant tothe bearings on which said cutters turn.

Another object is to provide a rotary cutter reamer which is so designedthat there is little tendency for it to wabhle when it is in use,therehy insuring the formation of a straight hole of approximatelyuniform diameter. And still another object is to provide a reaming toolthat consists of a head which is adapted to be connected to an ordinarydrill stem and cutters housed in the head and arranged in such a mannerthat the cutting surfaces of same shear 0d the material from the side ofthe hole and gradually increase the diameter of the hole as the headdescends, said cutters being mounted on spindles or shafts that aresupported in the head in such a manner that there is little danger oftheir being bent or sheared ofl when the reamer is in use.

(Ether objects and desirable features of my invention will behereinafter pointed out;

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side elevational view, partly in verticalsection, of a well-reamer constructed in accordance with my invention,illustrating the reamer 'at tached to a drill stem and providedfwith adrill bit; Fig. 2 is a sidoielevationa'l view of my improved reamer;Fig. Q 'is a perspective view of a steadyingrroller providedwith acutting surface; Fig. dis .ahorizontai sectional View of same taitenon;approximately the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Figs. 4, 5 and areelovationalviews illustrating the different kinds of cutting surfaces the cutterscan be provided with.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings which illustrate one form ofmy invention, A designates the head of the reamer which preferablyconsists of a block of metal provided at its upper end with ascrew-threaded portion 1 for cooperating with a coupling sleeve 2 thatconnects the reame-r to a drill stem B, and provided at its lower endwith a screw-threaded portion 3 so as to enable a drill hit 0, either afish-tail or a rotary bit, to he connected to the lower end of thereamer by means of a coupling sleeve 4:, as shown in Fig. 1,. Pockets 5are formed in the sides of the head at oppositely-disposed points so asto receive two gangs of horizontally-disposed cutters E, F and G, thecutters of each gang being rotatably mounted one above the other on avertically-disposed shaft 6 whose opposite ends are supported inhearings in the head A, as shown in Fig. 1. The side portions 7 of thehead, which lie between the pockets 5, are equippedwithhorizontally-disposed steadying rollers H that are rotatably mountedon vertically-disposed spindles '8, said steadying rollers being setinto recesses or grooves formed in the side portions 7 of the head, asshown in Fig. 3, and provided with plain surfaces, as shown in Fig, 2,or cutting surfaces, as shown in Fig. 2 The cutters li F and Gr aretapered slightly so that each gang, when considered as a un t, forms asubstantially inverted frusto-con1cal-shaped cutter that revolves abouta vertical axis, and while if prefer to use a number of small cutters toform each of these inverted frustoconical-shaped cutters, I wish it tobennderstood that my invention s not l mited to such a structure, for,if deslred, a single cutter of the general outline of the threeindividual cutters Ed and G could be mounted on each of the spindles 6.The upper cutters E' are preferably provided at their upper ends withstraight or non-tapered portlons 9 whose cutting surfaces extendparallel to the drill stem and thus form a hole that has straight sidewalls. The spindles 6 on which the. cutters are rotatably .mounted, canbe connected to the head in any sultalole way, the spi nee herein shownhaving their upper end portions screwed into the top part of the headand their lower end portions engaged by set-screws 10 mounted in thelower part of the head, as shown in Fig. 1. In order to reinforce andstrengthen the spindles 6 and thus reduce the tendency of said spindlesto bend or shear ofi when the reamer is in use, I have provided thereamer with tie-members 11 that extend transversely across the headthrough the pockets 5, and which are provided with openings throughwhich the spindles 6 pass, said tiemembers being arranged between thecutters and between the upper cutters E and the top portion of the headso that they serve as washers as well as tie-members. The cutters can beprovided with any suitable type of cutting surfaces, either straightchiselteeth 12, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, inclined chisel-teeth 12*, asshown in Fig. 4, spiral cutting teeth 12*, as shown in Fig. 5, or

sharp-pointed projections or protuberances "ducts 13 in the head thatlead to ducts 14 in the spindles or supporting shafts 6 of the cutters,said ducts 14 having branches 14, "as shown in Fig. 1, that lead to theouter 'surfaces'of the spindles 6 on which the cutters turn. The head Ais'provided with water-courses or passageways 15 for the flushing waterthat is pumped down through the drill stem when the reamer is in use,said water passageways terminating at the lower end of the head.

The steadying rollers H are preferably mounted in the head A in such amanner that they project laterally from the head approximately the samedistance as the intermediate cutters F, as shown in Fig. 3, therebyproducing four points of contact with the side wall of the hole thatprevents the head from wabbling and insures the formation of astraighthole. The head A of the reamer is exceptionally strong and rigidas the top and bottom portions of same are tied together by the integralside portions 7 of the head, and the vertically dis'posed spin dles orshafts 6 on" whichfthecutters are mounted are not liable to bend or besheared off when the reamer is- -in service, owing to the fact that theyare'tiedtogether by the tie-members 11. The shape of the cutters alsotends to reduce the side strains or shearing strains, on the spindles 6for. said cutspindles from wearing out quickly. Such a Y reamer willstraighten out a hole or mcrease the diameter of a hole quickly on ac-,count of the exceptionally large cutting area on same that is presentedto'the side wall of the hole. The reamer can be manufactured at a lowcost on account of its simple construction, and the cutters of same canbe re placed easily by simply removing the sup porting spindles 6 whichare detachably connected to the head. Furthermore, a reamer of theconstruction above-described insures the formation of a straight hole inview of the .fact that it comprises rotatable devices that bear againstthe side wall of the hole at a sufficient number of points to preventthe head from wabbling when the reamer is in use.

Having thus described my invention, what .1 claim as new and .desire tosecure by Lette'rs Patent is. 1. A well reamer comprising a head thatconsists of a casting which is provided with a topportion, a bottomportion and spaced side portions all integrally connected together,uprightspindles arranged between said side portions with their endsseated in the top and bottom portions of the head, ataperedouttingdevice'rotatably mounted on each of said spindles andcomposed of a group of small cutters arranged one above the other, and atransverse tie member arranged intermediate the upper and, lower ends ofsaid spindles and engaged with said spindles.

- 2; A well-reamer consisting of a head provided with a top and bottomportion and spaced side portions integrally connected together, uprightshafts or spindles connected to the top and bottom portions of the head,cutters rotatabl mounted on said spindles for removing t e material fromthe side of the hole, tie Washers arranged between said cuttersand'serving to tie said spindles together, and steadying rollersprojecting laterally from the head intermediate said cutters. 1

3. Awell reamer comprising a head provided with a top. portion, 'abottom; ortion and spaced side portions all integra y connectedtogether, said head having water courses or passageways extendinglongitu- "dinally through same, upright spindles ar- 130 mee eae rangedbetween said side portions with their ends seated in the top and bottomportions of the head, tapered cutting devices rotatably mounted on eachof said spindles, a

transverse tie member arranged intermediate the top and bottom portionsof the-head and engaged with said spindles, and a lubricant holder onthe head, the head and said spindles being provided with ducts forconveying the lubricant from said holder to the 1 0

